Title

The light to dark response of different invertebrates species.

Problem Scenario

This question is worth asking because these results can help others understand the preferred habitat of certain animals, and why the habitats are preferred.

Broad Question

How do different organisms respond to their habitats?

Specific Question

What different invertebrates have a Phototaxis response?

Hypothesis

I think all the different species without there own protection will have a Negative Phototaxis result. I think this because most species that cant protect themselves find it easier to hide in the dark from predators then in the light, being exposed.

Graph of Hypothesis

Variables

Independent Variable:

Choice between light and dark.

Dependent Variable:

Light and Dark

Variables That Need To Be Controlled:

Where the different organisms are placed to begin.

Vocabulary List That Needs Explanation

Phototaxis- movement of an organism toward or away from a source of light.

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General Plan

Potential Problems And Solutions

Different organisms escape from chamber, put the covers on while not collecting observations.

Safety Or Environmental Concerns

None

Experimental Design

Number Of Trials:

Snails:
Pill bugs

Number Of Subjects In Each trial:

Snails: 2-3
Pill Bugs:

When data will be collected

Through out the course of the day

Number of Observations:

Where will data be collected?

Mr. Biches room, A. Crosby Kennett Middle School

Resources and Budget Table

Item	Where to get this	cost
Poster board	Staples	$5.00
Flatworms	Science catalog	$8.00
Snails	Mr. Biche
Pill Bugs	Mr. Biche

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Background Research

References

Detailed Procedure

1. Come up to the science room in the morning on arrival, begin the set up.
2. Fill chamber with water, and place dark chamber over one half of the choice chamber.
3. Make sure the other half is lit, but not in direct light.
4. Place organism, or organisms, into the center of the center circle of the choice chamber.
5. Come between every class change and record where the different organism, or organisms, are.
6. At the end of the day put organisms back in normal home, and drain water.
7. Repeat this process everyday, until all needed data is collected per organism.

Diagram

On the top half of this picture is the covers to the choice chamber that i had to use to contain some of my organisms.

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Results

Graphs

This graph show that pill bugs have a positive phototaxis result.


This graph shows Flatworms have a negative phototaxis result.

This graph shows Snails have a negative phototaxis result.

Photos

This is an Ariel view of my project in progress. This is an upclose view of my pillbugs during my testing.


This is the choice chamber I used to test. This is my snail in the dark side of my project. ( I had to
lift the dark chamber up for a picture.)

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Data Analysis

My Snails had a negative phototaxis result.
My Pillbugs had a positive phototaxis result.
My Flatworms had a negative phototaxis result.

Conclusion

My data does not support my hypothesis.

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Discussion

I found that Snails have a negative phototaxis result, and Pillbugs have a positive phototaxis result. This result is very strange because snails eat plants, which tend to grow in bright, sunlight, and pillbugs who live, and eat in the dark, ground. This clearly needs more study, perhaps with more trials.

This lack of strong data could be caused by a few other factors. For example I only used one snail, in the same container, and the same setup every time. The pillbugs I just picked random four out of the tank and put them in the chamber, they could have just been exploring, or looking for a way out.

For future research, which I would suggest, I would test more then one organisms in each species, also test more species. I would also do different variations of each test, and different test then just light and dark.

Benefit to Community and/or Science

My project benefits to science and the community. This project specifically benefits science because it gives us a better understanding of how animals work. This broadly benefits our community because if anyone were to do any test like these on several types of common household animals and they could get better habitat ideas for that animal.

Abstract

I did this project because it will help others understand what different animals prefer what kind of habitats. Even though broadly I was asking this, How do different organisms respond to their habitats? But if others do this they can make it even more broad, and get a better understanding of not just organisms, but of household animals to. I concluded that, my snails had a negative phototaxis result, my Pillbugs had a positive phototaxis result, my Flatworms had a negative phototaxis result. However I recommend further testing because there are some variables that could be changed to better this experiment.